Rock-drilling explosive-engine.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908, A. B. WITTMANN & G. L. RORK. I ROCK DRILLING BXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

APPLICATION IIL I) .29,1 6.

\ E JAN 90 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H m/lull! j Gum/mu wi bnmw 2 PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. A. B. WITTMANN & G. L. RORK.

ROCK DRILLING EXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

T APPLIOA ION FILED JAN 29 1906 5 SHB TS BHEET 2.

PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

A. B. WITTMANN & G. L. IRORK. ROCK DRILLING EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29.1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 890,546. I PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.- 'A. B, WITTMANN & G. L. RORK. ROCK DRILLING EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

PP I TI F L .2 1 6. A L 0A ON I ED JAN 99 ESHEETS-SHEET 4.

lm/ masses No. 890,546; a PATENTEDJUNB'Q, 1908;

A. B. WITTMANN & G. R'JRK.

ROCK DRILLING EXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.29. 190a. BSHMFBHMHS-y AUGUST B. WITTMANN AND GEORGE L. RORK, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ROCK-DRILLING EXPLQSIVE-ENGINE.

No. 890,546. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed January 29, 1906. Serial No. 298,425.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUST B. WITT- MANN and GEORGEL. Roux, bothcitizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rock-Drillin Explosive-Engines and we do declare the gollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description ,of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marl thereon, which form a part of this specifi Attion.

Our invention relates to improvements in rock drills in which the reci )rocating device acting on the operating too or drill steel, is actuated by explosive force acting alternately in opposite ends of thc pistrm chamber.

In our improved device a piston is mounted on the stem of the reciprocating hammer, and acts in a chamber whereby the explosive mixture is controlled ,and' introduced to the a chamber in which the hammer or other rcciprocating device operated.

Having briefly out-lined our improved consti'm'tion, we will proceed to describe the same in detail reference being made to the accompanyiiw drawing in' which is illushl u v tratcd an embodiment thereof.

in this drawing, Figure 1 is, a top plan vicwol' a drill equipped with our improveguide shell of a rock drill structure.

is mounted.

mcnls. Fig. )2 is a sideelcvation of the .salnc. Fig. 3 is a VOIl'lC-{Ll longitudinal section shown on a larger scale and \tith parts brohcn away. Fig. 4 is a l'ragmentar sectional view taken vertically througi the structure for controlling the supply of explosive mixture to the explosion chambcr, )arts being shown on a much larger scale. i ig. 5 is a horizontal section. taken through the explosion chamber and the parts immediatcly forward lhcrco'f. .Figs. 6 and 7 are sections taken on the lines (3 4) and 7-7 rcspcctlvcly, of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is an enlarged .scctional view in detail showing the conchine includes an explosion chamber or bar rel 7 in which is located a reci n'ocable ham- Incr or hammer head 8 connected witha rod 9 which passes through a stuffing box- 10 at one extremity of the chamber. In direct alinement with the explosion chamber 7 is a piston chamber 12 throuqh which the hammer stem 9 passes. Within this chamber is located a piston 13 made fast to the stem 9 and mounted to reciprocate within the chamber 12. The chamber 12 is located between bufler heads 14 and 15 which are acted on by sprin s 17 and 18. These heads yield sufliciently to prevent injury to the parts as the iston reaches the extremities of its chamlier. The gland of a stuffing box 19 is located in a recess formed in the buffer head 14. This gland is suitably connected with the body part of the device. I

Mounted upon the body of the structure adjacent the chamber 12 is a chamber 20 which receives the explosive mixture through a port 21. In the extremities of this chamber are formed ports 22 communicating with exit openings 23 which are surroundedby valve seats 24. These valve seats are engaged by valves 25 and 26 having stems 27 and 28 passing through the heads of the chamber and normally held in the closed position by springs 29. At opposite ends of the chamber 20 are located chambers 30 and 31 whose outer extremities are closed by screw lugs 32 and these 0 iambers adjacent the chamber 20, are provided with openings normally closed by valves 34 and 35 having stems 36 and 37 recessed to receive coil. springs 38 and 39 which normally hold the valves in thc'closed position. These valves 34 and 35 ooen inwardly while the valves 25 and 26 o .n outwardly. The valves 26 and 34 are oppositely located and when closed there is a narrow .passage way 40 between them. lar passage way 41 between the valves 25 and 35 when both of the last named valves are closed. These passages 40 and 41 communicate with the opposite extremities of the chamber 12. a

As the piston 13 'moves toward the let t rcfcrring to Figs. 3 and 4, the valve 26 will open in response to the vacuum produced in the chamber 12 and allow the explosive mixture to enter the last named chamber at the right of thcpiston. At the same time the explosive mixture in the chamber 12 at the left of the piston will beforccd out through The extremities of I lhere is also a simi-.

1 extremity of the chamber 7 where it is m projectin the passageway 41 and through the opening 'ontrolled by the valve and thence through a 'port .42 into a branch pipe 43 and thence into a main conduit 44 whence it is 5 delivercdto a chamber 45 and enters the explosion chamber at the ri ht of the hammer 8 (see Fi 5). Againas t c piston 13 moves toward the right in the chamber 12, the explosive mixture is forced out of the last named chamber through the narrow passage 40, thence through the opening controlled by the valve 34, into the chamber 30 and thence through a port ;47 into a branch pi e 48, and thence into the main conduit 44. rom this conduit 44 the explosive mixture passes again to the chamber 45 and thence through a duct 48 to the left of the hammer 8 (see F iv. 5).

it is evident that during the ec-xi. roca tion of the piston 13,.tho hammer S is a so re ciprocated. As this hammer moves toward the right, the explosive mixture introduced to the explosion chamber 7 as aforcsairh-is compressed in the right hand extremity of the chamber and is ignited through the instrumentiilityof a sparking plug 49.of special constriu-tion. The explosive force acting on the hammer at its right luu idcxtremity, drives it toward the left whereby the explosive mixture is compressed in the left hand 'turrri nited through the instrument-ality of a sparlring plug 50. In this way the-reciproeating. movement of the hammer is effected. Each s arking plug 49 or 50 is composed of a screws ceve A, a central electrode B pass ing through the center of the sleeve and sepa rated therefrom by insulating nmterial C. A circuit wire- Dis fastened to the outer'exosed extremity of the electrode B by a screw utton E threaded into the outer or exposed extremity of the electrode; The electrode B protrudes into theexpl'osiou chamber and its inner extremity is slightly separated from a 45 'pro'ection F connected with the sleeve A.

From one pole of an electrir-falsource G, a conductor H leads to the body part of the structure. From the other pole of the source a'wire I leads to a contact J. From mounted. Connected WFith'the contact J is a projecting metal brush N while- 1 connectedi' with the'contact L is a forwardly contacts and II are two contacts P; and Q provided-with metal brushes Jilin-Mills which extend rearwardly' and orwardly-,- ,srespectiv'el' These brushes and contactsare-locate in, the rear of the body of the machine. A stem T in alinementwith the hammerstem 9 and connected with the piston 13', pro- 5 trud cs fromthc body of the machine and 50 this-wire I leads a branch conductor K to ametal brush (1; Opposite the makir the products of com ustion' nets of combustion from the carries a contact ring U insulated from the stem as shown at V. When the piston 13 and the hammer 18 are at their rearward limit of movement or have reached their limit of travel toward the right, ,the ring Q engages the two brushes N and R, and conducts the current from the source through conductor 1) to the electrode B of the spark-l :ing plugs 49.

throng r the metal body or frame of the ma chine-back to the opposite pole to the suppky source G, through the wire H. 0n the ot or The circuit-is completed after the spark within the chamberif hand when the piston 13 and the hammer- 8 are at their forward limit of movement orat their limit oftravel toward the left refer-- ring to Figs. 4 and 5, the contact ring U will.

reach the dotted line position in Fig. 2 and bridge the s ace between the brushes 0 and S, carrying t 1e current to a conductor D'--and thence through the electrode'of the s arking plug 50, the circuit being complete in the manner just explaiped. t At the time the h. mmerreaches its forward hunt of movement it strikes a tappet or anvil 51 which .engages the drill steel 52. As shown in'thedrawing a spring 53 is en'iployed to maintain the steel and the tappet normally at their rearward limlt of movement. This spring acts on a collar 54 formed on. the

"lib

ward enlarged extremity 51 of the tappet.

When the hammer is at its forward limit of movement, the products of combustiorrin the rear escape through exhaust ports 55 and 56 to the chamber 57 and thence throu h a port 58 to the atmosphere or any desired location in case it is desired to connect. a conduit (not shown) with. the port which is intc'riorly threaded for the purpose. "This exhaust occurs sinmltaneously with the entrance of a part of the explosive mixture through the port 46 to the explosion chamber in the rear of the hammer. Now whenthe explosionoccurs forward of the hammer, and

the latter begins its rearward or return stroke, the exhaust port 156 will be first closed at which time a small part of the port 46 will be open for the. admission of themixture. In another instant the inlet duct or port 46 iscompletel cut off from com munication with the exp osion chamber. The

exhaust ort 55; however is still open. As

soon as t is'port 55 is closed compression in the rear extremityof the ex losion'chamber' commences; Again just be ore the hammer reaches Its- T6 r'w'ard limit of movement an 1 9 is o cried for theescal e of exhaust port forward; 0 the hammer. The inlet port 48 and-the exhaustport 60 are then opened allowing a part of the explosive mixture to enter'the explosion chamber forward-of the hammer simultaneouslywith the'periodof exhaust of the prodforward extremdrill steel when the latter engagesthe forin Fig. 3 of the drawing, and that the explo sive mixture is compressed in the rear exmentj of tremity of the explosion chamber or barrel, the sparking circuit will be closed as heretofore explained resulting in the ignitionof the compressed gas, whereby the hammer is driven forwardly against the tappet or anvil 51. Simultaneous y with the arrival of the hammer at its forward limit of movement, the explosive mixture will be ignited at the forward extremity of the explosion chamber by virtue of. the construction and arran eparts heretofore described. e force of theexplosion will drive the hammer rearwardly' when the operation heretofore described will lie-repeated. Simultaneously with the movement of the hammer just described, the iston 13 is reciprocated and the explosive m r and alternately driven from the opposite extremities thereof into the explosion chamber in the manner heretofore explained more in detail.

Theexplosiomchamber is rovided with lubricating material through t e instrumen tality of an oil cup 62 ha a tubular stem 63 which communicates wit the explosion chamber, ata central point/whereby as the hammer reciprocates the lubricant deliv- .ered to the chamber is distributed. I

Attention is called to the fact that the tappet 51 passes throu h a stufiin box 64 located forward of .the ront end 0 the ex plosion chamber. The gland of this stufiing ox prevents'the escape of the explosive mixture around the tappet.

The term explosion chamber and barrel are used interchangeably in the specification when, referrmgto the element. 7 the terms hammer, and (hammer head are both used to designate the element 8; while the terms -tappet and anvil=are 'used' interchangeably to designate the element 51; and wherever either interchangeable term is employed alone, the other is equally "ap licable.

aving thus described our invention,'

what We claim is:

1, Inarock drilling explosive engine, the combination of ex losion, chamber, a hammer therein, means or producing explbsio'ns automatically in theop the explosion chamber, where y the-explos ture taken into the chamber 12 ex 10 'on site ends of sive force is caused to act on the hammer from both extremities of its chamber, a piston connected to move in unison with the hammer, a chamber in which said piston reci rocates, valve mechanism cooperating with the piston whereby the explosive mixture is drawn into the iston chamber, and

expelled therefrom during the reciprocation of the said piston, and suitable means for conducting the expelled explosive mixture to the opposite ends of the explosion chamber alternately.

2. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination of an explosion chamber, a hammer mounted to reciprocate therein, a

stem with which' the hammer is connected,

a piston mounted on the stem and in alinement with the hammer, a chamber in which said piston is locatedand within which it reciprocates, buffer. heads closing the opposite extremitiesof the piston chamber, valve mechanism located adjacent the piston chamber permitting the induction and eduction of the explosive mixture as the piston reciprocates, suitable means for conducting the explosive mixture to the opposite extremities of the explosion chamber, and means for ignitingthe compressed explosive mixture in the extremities of the explosion chamber, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism of the class describedf the combination of an explosion chamber, a hammer mounted to reciprocate therein, a tappet in alinemen-t with the hammer and protruding into the chamber to receive the low of the latter, a stem connected with the hammer, a piston-mounted on the stem and in alinement with the hammer, a chamber in which the piston reciprocates, a chamber for the explosive mixture, valves for controlling the entrance of the explosive mixture to the opposite ends of the piston chamber as the piston reci rocates, other chambers ldeated ad'acent t e ex lo'sive mixture chamber,

va ves for contro ing the passage of the explosive mixture from the piston chamber to the said other chambers, the last named chambers bein in communication with the dh'am er whereby the said mixture is mtroduced to the ex losion chamber. adjacent one extremity o the hammer when the latter is at its limit of movement in either direction, and.mea'ns for automatically igniting the explosive mixture in the opposite extremities of the'ex 'losion chamber.

-4. In a rock dri lin explosive engine, the combination of an exp osion chamber, a hammer mounted to reciprocate therein, a tappet located to be acted on by the hammer a stem connected with the hammer, a piston mounted on the stem and n alinement with the hammer, a chamber .11 which said piston reciprocates, a chamber for the explosive mixture, the said chamber commumcating with the opposite extremities of the piston chama explosion cham e'r for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of an explosionchamber provided with induction and exhaust ports, a hammer mounted to reciprocate in the ex losion chamber, a tappet in alinement with t e hammer and arran ed to be acted on thereby, means for introducing ex losive mixture to the explosion chamber, w ereby it is compressed in the extremities of the said chamber alternately, said means including valve mechanism controlled by the reciprocation of the hammer and means for igniting the ex losive mixture in the opposite extremities of the chamber, whereby the hammer is reciprocated for the purpose set forth.

6. 'The combinationof an explosion CllBJIb ber provided with induction and exhaust ports, a hammer mounted to reciprocate in said chamber, a drilling tool in axial alinement with the hammer, a tappet adapted to act on the tool at one extremity, while the forward extremity of the tappet protrudes the chamber for prod sing the reciprocating movement of the hammer.

7. In a motor tool, .acylinder for the com- ,bustion of gases having suitable gas inlet and exhaust openings, means for controlling the sup ly and exhaust to and from the cylinder,

sai means comprising a hammer piston, means for igniting the gases within the cylinder, and an impact piece upon whichthe piston comes forclbly into contact.

8. A hammer com rising a barrel open at one end for the intro uction of the art to be struck, an anvil movable in the sai barrel, a hammer head for striking the said anvil, and an explosion device for imparting a reciprocating motion to the said hammer head.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST B. WITTMANN. GEORGE L. RORK. Witnesses: 4

Dana N ELSON,

- A. J. QBmEN. 

